6 Ways to Not Only Survive but Thrive in Mercury Retrograde

If you are in the spiritual community than you are familiar with the dreaded raincloud of an astrological forecast called Mercury Retrograde. If you are reading this article, you are most likely familiar with the key advice: Don’t talk to anyone, don’t make deals or sign contracts and make sure not to buy anything significant! Everyone quick! Crawl into your psychological mental cave and don’t come out until this influence passes! Well that would be just fine if we actually still lived in a tribe and the modern structures of society were not so relevant. But are all of these fanatical warnings even actually warranted? Should we walk around wary of the impending doom of the sinister Mercury Retrograde just waiting to get us?

First of all let’s talk a bit about what Mercury in Retrograde even is. Mercury retrograde happens when the planet Mercury passes between the Earth and the Sun, as it passes it appears as if it is spinning backwards. Because Mercury’s orbit is about 84 days, this happens three times a year. While the retrogrades typically last about 22 days, there is a “entering” time frame on either side of two to three weeks where the influences kind of echo. In other words the influences can be felt about a week before and after the actually planetary positioning.

So why do we feel Mercury so intensely? Mercury has a huge core made almost completely of what astronomers have concluded to be iron. The only planet in our Solar System to contain this much of this metal, with Mercury passing so closely between the Earth and Sun it almost becomes like a huge magnet charging between polarities. While it hasn’t been proven by science, I would assume this is the reason that technology can get a bit dysfunctional during this time. Not to mention on an even deeper level, why it affects the human brain since both Mother Earth and our nervous system are wired with electromagnetic properties.

These influences on a spiritual realm, open what is know as a shadow or yin period. This is not a shadow period in the sense of negativity although the common westerner who does not understand these qualities would paint it as so, hence why there is so much hype about Mercury Retrograde. These energetic principles can be seen in all of life and I call them the galactic breath. All of life has an ebb and flow, an inhale and exhale. Maybe you would be more familiar with the yin and yang metaphor. Mercury Retrograde as mentioned above is the yin. It is the time to relax, rest, to contemplate and collect what would otherwise be not easily accessible information from the realm beyond. It is about purifying your vessel through slowing down but also just listening to what the universe would like for you to do next.

Mercury Retrograde if utilized properly can be a kind of extrasensory tool to contact and connect with the steps to take next on the path or that hidden piece of the puzzle you have been trying to figure out. To paint a picture of what this influence is like, I will compare it to drinking Ayahuasca. Ayahuasca is an extremely potent psychedelic plant medicine used by the ancients to purify the body and spirit but also has been the connector to the spirit world for Shamans and medicine men for thousands of years. In these traditional ceremonies the Shaman will most often ask that you do not communicate with others but just experience what the medicine has to show you. This influence is of the same structure. It excites such periods of utter chaos that you literally just have to surrender to observe and obtain the lesson and more importantly the cleansing.

Now that I have offered some ethos to chew on, to get a feel of what this energy period is all about, I will share with you tools I have observed to be beneficial in exalting these energies to create a pleasant planetary influence for you.

6 Ways to Thrive in Mercury Retrograde:

Yup unfortunately still this one: Don’t Sign, Don’t Buy That is, when you can avoid doing so. I am talking about big purchases. Buying a house, large piece of technology, car or signing an important agreement. The problem if you sign or buy with Mercury retrograde, or about to be going into retrograde, is that something is likely to reverse itself hence the connection with Mercury spinning backwards. Or, you will learn something you wish you had known sooner. Since we all live in a world where we can’t plan everything there are questions of what to do when you have a house closing scheduled for during Mercury retrograde, if you have to start a new job, or you absolutely have to get that new car. If the situation involves significant amounts of money and-or a real commitment, it might be a good idea to talk to an astrologer about how Mercury retrograde affects you personally and how to remedy the situation. (Which I will offer an astrologer friend of mine who is VERY talented at doing Mercury Retrograde readings and coaching at the bottom of this article for those who need it.)

The truth comes out when Mercury shifts, either going retrograde or direct. Since this is a divination energy it has a way of cleansing and exposing the underlying and subconscious truths of situations. Most often you will see this kind of grand reveal of information as Mercury is going direct again coming out of Mercury Retrograde influence or right before going into retrograde. This is one of the main reasons you want to wait before signing or buying. Mercury Retrograde is a crucible of sorts, the idea where if you combine elements in a confined space, put them under pressure and heat; the elements transform. Whether for better or worse, the universe will be handing you the truth of each situation. Though at times it may seem intense, with the right perspectives these could be the long awaited missing puzzle pieces you have been waiting to solve the issue that just wouldn’t go away.

If an item of communication is missed, don’t assume you’re being ignored. During this influence there are going to be more of a likelihood for your email to end up in the spam filter or have general errors. It is better during this time to be graceful and patient, giving people the benefit of the doubt. Make sure to check up on someone with whom you sent a message or email. Specifically if they don’t reply right away during this influence they may just be overwhelmed since the whole globe is experiencing technical difficulties from just not understanding how to handle the current energy shift. Be sure to send a friendly follow up to see if they received your message. When in doubt try, try again and keep calm.

Try to make communication face to face to avoid misinterpretation. Communication in general can be a bit wonky at this time, it is a bit like trying to talk to someone when you are half asleep. Therefore this would be the time to lay off the texting and try to do as much face to face communication (including the telephone) as possible. There can be so much that gets lost in translation with texting because of the lack of not hearing emotion in someone’s voice. You will be surprised at how effective this one can be during this time. If you absolutely have to write someone take time to re-read and feel whether all of the points you are trying to communicate are spelled out in an effective way.

Remember that is a period of rest and rejuvenation. Mercury Retrograde is not the time to charge forward aimlessly towards goal you have been actively pursuing before the influence kicked in. If you go forth with this energy you will feel as though you are banging your head against the wall or trying to swim up stream, listen to that feedback. You can keep the ball rolling but not in the traditional societal sense. This is the best time to explore your idea space and passions mentally, to go over the details of what you have already done physically and make the mental and spiritual aspects to your craft a priority. It is also a time to cleanse and take some down time for yourself for the hard work done in the yang or action accommodating energies that took place before this energy kicked in. This can be a hard pill to swallow in a production based society but if you look at the grander picture of nature and the laws of the universe, all beings have periods of growth and then rest. Be mindful of your pursuits during this time. Taking your time to think about what you say to others and most importantly how you have been treating take yourself. When in doubt, surrender and just let go.

Lastly remember that the shadow time is like being in a waking dream. Shadow periods or yin periods can amplify your emotions like a cosmic magnifying glass. Therefore during this time period situations may seem ten times worst or maybe you will misinterpret what someone is saying because you are projecting your shadows or insecurities on another and the universe is showing up to meet you with the lesson you are suppose to learn from it. Be mindful of this and really take your time to stay in the now and process all information before taking action.

If you just remember that this can be a time of healing and of great revealing, you will walk out of every Mercury Retrograde period like a shaman or medicine man of your own life. You will be able to harness this reflecting and transforming energy to share knowledge with others. You will also be able to take the lessons and truths you have learned to ripen the fruits of your labors when the yang energy returns and Mercury goes direct. If anyone would like to know about their specific planetary influences and how that relates to Mercury Retrograde feel free to contact Kathe Izzo at website: http://www.katheizzo.com/ For all others I hope this could provide some light into the often misunderstood Mercury Retrograde. Did this help you in the influence? What are your tricks to help harness the positive energy within this influence?